Category Archives: Rosanna Mosaic Artist

Mosaic Art on Display

Posted on August 28, 2015 | Leave a comment

My aim for this year was to get my work displayed in a Gallery. I am therefore delighted that part way through the year and I am now in 3 venues.

The North East Art Collective is a fantastic, large gallery in the centre of Newcastle that displays the work of over 140 artists. There I have a range of my mosaic mirrors, my long, thin panels and some larger pieces.

Harris + Hoole Coffee Shop in St. Margarets, Twickenham asked me to continue to exhibit my work after I displayed and demonstrated with them for Richmond Open Studios in July. A lovely local coffee shop in a delightful leafy setting, this place has a terrific atmosphere and incredibly friendly staff.   I am showing my long panels, my small wall hangings and some fun pieces.

South Street Gallery is a new, small gallery. Set in picturesque Isleworth in an historical square, this Gallery is set to make an impact in the area as Artisitic Director Lesley had innovative plans for exhibitions and community events. As I have shelf space I am able to display my mosaiced recycled roof tiles, small pictures and coasters.

During my travels over the years I have often felt that mosaic art is either totally missing or poorly represented in galleries and exhibitions. It is therefore very refreshing and rewarding for me to be in these 3 venues that are run by artistic and forward thinking people who are open to mosaic as an art form and willing to try something different. They have all been extremely encouraging and welcoming to me as a mosaic artist and it is great to be working with them.

REQUEST: Do you know of any experimental gallery owners who may be interested in displaying my mosaic art?

COMING SOON: Mosaic Lessons – why not have a go yourself!?

 

 

 

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Mosaics and Marketing

Posted on August 2, 2015 | Leave a comment

cropped-p1050225.jpgObviously I love making the mosaics, but I also really enjoy all the marketing, networking and PR that is required if you want to reach a wider audience, which I certainly am hoping to do with the help of this website and word of mouth.

cropped-p1040920.jpgThat is part of the reason I enjoy having exhibitions and getting into new venues so much as I love creating the posters, flyers, press releases and going out on the network circuit to promote them. I enjoy the whole process and project. 

New Website, New Logo

New Logo Colours

During my mosaic journey I have had a variety of business cards and flyers in various colours and designs although I do like the  ‘mosaic tile’ effect and think it works well for me. I am hoping my latest business card has gone up a notch and will appeal to my target audience of gallery owners / people wanting commissions.

A few Blogs ago I gave a mention to Louise from Ealing Digital who set up this website to help me market Rosanna’s Mosaics to my target audience. However, an even bigger ‘THANK YOU’ must go to Dr. Simon Davey who has in fact created 5 websites over the course of the years for me! 

Simon works with , young people, small business and the voluntary sector, his strapline is  ‘Empowering, enabling, educating… empathically.’

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Dr Simon Davey

I first met Simon when I was working with Business in the Community. He created a website for my ProHelp Programme, which  brokered professional skills into the voluntary sector – amounting to £1 million pounds worth in one  year.

When I  went self employed, Simon set me up again with a website. Although I don’t do my professional work any more, I know a lot of people want to know what I did before mosaics took hold so I can direct them to that website and people can see the type of professional work I got involved in: www.conkerconsulting.co.uk

Original Logo Colours

Original Logo Colours

When I got into mosaics it was time to call  in Simon again and ask him to work his website magic. He created my first artistic website which  was a new challenge for him as it was a departure from his usual client’s requirements.It is still out there in cyberspace, do have a look to see how I have evolved over the years. That site will be coming down later in the year but for now it is still available on www.rosannasmosaics.co.uk

Simon has remained a good friend and was extremely helpful when I was making the difficult transition from employed to self employed and again from professional to artistic. Do have a look at the incredible work he does and here are some of his quotes from his website:

  • simon2“I lead projects. I take an idea and turn it into a plan and then build a small team to make it happen and get on with it.
  • Most of my work is with young people or technology. Sometimes both.
  • Big picture and attention to detail – it gets me out of bed in the morning and gives me a reason for living.
  • Think of me as a catalyst and a lighter of fires. I want the world to be a better place for me being in it.”

REQUEST:  Who do you know that could benefit from working with Simon? 

COMING SOON: New month, new news!

 

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July Review

Posted on July 26, 2015 | 2 comments

As we come towards the end of July I realise that it has been a very busy and productive month for Rosanna’s Mosaics. So here is an update of activities.

P1050343s

The Gallery in Newcastle

I really enjoy being in such a prestigious gallery,  The North East Collective , which is in the Newcastle main shopping centre. John and Catherine are lovely and friendly and I always get a great welcome when I pop in. I have also sold 4 pieces so things are looking very positive.

Harris + Hoole Coffee Shop, with Steph

Harris + Hoole Coffee Shop, with Steph

It was great fun taking part in Richmond Open Studios for the second year and it was lovely to have my work displayed in Harris + Hoole coffee shop at St. Margarets. I demonstrated on both Sundays and got a lot of interest in my work and mosaic lessons as well as making some sales. Owner Steph has kindly invited me to remain exhibiting in Harris + Hoole so my work is now on show and on sale there. It is fantastic to be showing my work in such a friendly and busy venue.

I have now been Blogging for a year. I really enjoy it and hope to  attract more Followers. One of the main reasons for Blogging was to get myself known further afield and to get into some Galleries. So far I am in 2 new venues so I think we can call that a result!

To help me with my marketing I have got some newly designed  Business Cards with my new Logo. I wanted to raise my profile a bit more and think that the  new style is more in keeping with my target audience of Gallery owners and exhibiting opportunities. Do let me know what you think.

New Website, New Logo

New Logo

My First Mosaic

My First Mosaic

So it is 8 years ago this month that my friend Julia got me to make my first mosaic!  Although I enjoyed making the small coaster (it took me all afternoon!), I did not think I would do any more. How wrong a person can be! Thank you Julia, I will be forever be grateful for you saying “Do you like mosaics” (not really), “Would you like to make one” (Hmmm, no, but it’s a long time til we have supper so I may as well).  The rest, as they say, is history!!!!

So my shed has no official name but is being used on a very regular basis for mosaics making (as well as gardening) so sometimes it is ‘The Grout House’ and other times ‘The Cutting Room’. I am currently spending a lot of time in there making a New Commission that I have received for a piece that will be going to France. Watch this space as I hope to have photos soon.

All Original Shop

All Original Shop

I have (reluctantly) decided it is time to leave the All Original shop where I have been selling my mosaics since it first opened in March 2013.  I do feel very sad about this as I have been with Catherine from the start of her journey when she first phoned me up and said ‘I may have done the most impulsive thing, but I am taking a lease on a shop‘. Since then the shop has gone from strength to strength and  is now well established in Ealing as the place to buy unique gifts. My decision to leave has been a long time in coming as I love being part of the All Original family. However, I do feel my mosaic work is becoming more ‘art’ than ‘craft’ and a Gallery and exhibition environment is more suited to where I want to be, going forward.

A find farewell to Catherine and her team including Laura, Jane, Gill, Vanessa and Emma.  Thank you to Catherine for all your help and support over the last two and a half years.  I will still be popping in to buy gifts and to keep in touch.

REQUEST:  If you enjoy this Blog, please pass it on to others as I would like to get more Followers.

COMING SOON: What would YOU like to hear about? Let me know the type of things (mosaic wise) you are interested in reading about, is it lessons, commissions, upcoming events? Either leave a reply below or contact me on email.

 

 

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I Name This Shed………………….

Posted on July 21, 2015 | Leave a comment

P1050225So I was hoping that in the true style of most competitions, I would be announcing the winning shed name with a flourish and then I would make a lovely Mosaic Name Plate for the door.

However………………………. I can tell you can feel a ‘but‘ coming on!

I have had a great response from lots of people via this Blog, Facebook and Email and thank you to all that responded and joined in the fun. But rather than a specific name leading the field, most of the suggested names have collected several votes resulting in an overall spread. Therefore no obvious winner!

P1050061As there are several names that I would have voted for, even I feel unable to pick a favourite! I am therefore going to go with the ‘Harry Potter’ idea and make it a ‘Shed of Requirements’ with the name suiting  the requirement as need be at the time. So one day I may be ‘going to the Grout House’ and another day I may be having a nice cuppa in ‘Rosanna’s Retreat’. At least this way I get to use all the lovely names you suggested and obviously, you are very welcome to join me in which every guise you fancy!

New Website, New Logo

New Branded Logo

One thing that has got a specific name is the branding for my mosaic work ‘Rosanna’s Mosaics’ which has had a bit of a make-over. I have just ordered some new business cards and exhibition labels in this new colour palette. I hope you like it.

REQUEST: Having had the Blog for a year I have gathered a nice amount of Followers so thank you all for joining me. However, I would now like to increase my Following so please can you spread the word and maybe send this Blog to anyone you know who is interested in mosaics or anything arty.

COMING SOON: July review.

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Name The Shed Competition

Posted on July 10, 2015 | 6 comments

P1050061Regular readers will know that Alan bought me a shed for my birthday and my aim is to use it for gardening and mosaicing. Already I seem to be spending a lot of my time in it.  As well as the above it has also been used for evening drinks and breakfasts catching the early morning sunshine! I am currently working on a new commission and it is providing the ideal space for spreading out all my tiles and equipment.

Calling it a ‘shed’ does not seem to do it justice, it needs a proper name. Lots of people have made suggestions and I said in the previous Blog we would have a competition. So here we go:

Listed below are the suggestions:

Mosaic Mansion

Rosanna’s Retreat

RHS Ealing (Rosanna Henderson’s Shed – Ealing)

Hendo’s Hideaway

The Log Cabin (see previous Blog)

The Mole Hole (Mosaic / Leisure)

The Studio Shed

The Garden Room

The Grout House

The Creative Cabin

The Craft Cabin

The Room of Requirements (as in Harry Potter)

The Cutting Room

REQUEST: To vote for your favourite, either ‘Leave a Reply below or email me. 

COMING SOON: ……..and the name of the Shed is ****

 

 

 

 

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Anniversary Blog

Posted on July 1, 2015 | Leave a comment
New Website, New Logo

New Website, New Logo

It is exactly a year ago since I decided to dip my toe into the cyberworld of Blogging.  I had hardly read any Blogs and didn’t really understand what they were. However, when I decided I wanted an updated website that I could easily add events and photos to, I realised that nowadays most wesbites come with a Blog automatically. So, always one for a challenge, it was time to give it a go.

Louise Honan of Digital Ealing who lives nearby and I had known for a while helped me in all things Blogging and she set up the website for me.

She was great at getting me to focus on:

  • why I wanted a new website – so I could update it myself, instant ease of use  for promoting events, a new look 
  • who my target audience would be – people interested in mosaics, gallery owners, garden designers
  • messages I wanted to put there – this is what I do, this is what I can offer, requests for help etc.

The result is this website which I think, and I hope you will agree, is a great resource, user friendly, interesting and informative. I think it successfully gets across my mosaic story and progress over the past 8 years and you also get a bit of a feel for my personality and sense of fun. Do you agree – let me know.

If you are thinking of getting a Blog or Website, I can really recommend Louise. She is professional, extremely knowledgeable and fun to work with. She has a special skill for working with creative and artistic people and helping them to showcase their work and express themselves artistically. Here is a short bio on her in her own words:

Louise Honan

Louise Honan

“Born in Dublin, I now live and work in west London. I have over 15 years experience in the digital industry working with large and small companies in both Ireland and the UK. My interest in business and how technology continually impacts our social and economic activity eventually led me to a career in the digital sphere. I’ve worked in the retail, publishing and logistics sectors. I currently run a small digital consultancy called ‘Ealing Digital’ where I get to work with professionals, other business owners, creative types and generally very interesting people.”

EalingDigitalLtdHave a look at her website and see how Louise can help you to get Blogging. www.ealingdigital.co.uk

 

 

REQUEST:  Having Blogged for a year now, am I getting it right?  What would you like to see in these Blogs – more pictures, other mosaic info, anything else? Have your say by leaving a comment below or email me.

COMING SOON: Feedback from Open Studios event

 

 

 

 

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A New Mosaic Studio?

Posted on May 31, 2015 | 6 comments

When my ‘special birthday’ was coming up, hubby Alan asked me what I wanted as a ‘special pressie’. Now maybe most ‘ladies of a certain age’ would want jewellery, a spa treat, perfume or to be pampered for the weekend.

P1050061

The New Shed

Well, I knew exactly what I wanted – a new garden shed!

In order to make room in our medium size London back garden, a lot of preparation was needed. An old rockery and a some brick retaining walls had to be demolished, the area then had to be totally flattened, old plants removed, cleared and dug over. Finally, the concrete base had to be made using the old rocks and bricks as hardcore.

P1050044

Laying the concrete base.

We ordered the shed from Harrow Fencing as we had used them before, they are a small family run local independent company, very professional, informative and friendly and they had the exact model I wanted. We were told 6 weeks to delivery which gave us plenty of time – or so we thought! In the end it was ready within 3 weeks so we were on a very tight schedule to get all the preparation done in time for delivery day. Happily the weather was on our side and  we were able to get all the clearance work done and Alan was able to lay the concrete base just in time. It was delivered and erected professionally and quickly  by the guys from Harrow Fencing and it fits in with the rest of the garden really well. I am delighted with it.

Sunshine Step Stone

Sunshine Step Stone by the shed entrance

My sunshine’stepping stone’ welcomes people in. So far we have christened the new arrival  with champagne, had breakfast in there and also evening drinks. I have now moved all my mosaic wood and heavy supplies in as well as my garden tools.  I intend to use it as a potting shed and an outside mosaic studio for grouting and large mosaic making. I need a name for it so that I can make a mosaic sign – something that incorporates mosaics, gardening and maybe a bit of leisure!  Any ideas???

REQUEST: Rosanna’s Retreat, The Craft Cabin, Hendo’s Hideaway? Can you help me come up with a suitable name please. All suitable suggestions will be put forward and maybe we can have a vote.

COMING SOON: Open Studios – Pop Up Ehibition

 

 

 

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New Improved Mosaic Website

Posted on February 6, 2015 | Leave a comment

 

As part of my January spring clean I have spent quite a lot of time amending and updating this website. Although I already had a mosaic website, I have decided that this is now going to be my main website and I will be directing all traffic to it via business cards, marketing materials etc.

Originally I wanted to use this website as a showcase for my mosaic photographs with a view to attracting some Galleries who may want to display my work. This is still a key aim. I also liked the idea of ‘Blogging’ and although I am very new to it, I seem to have loads of topics to chat about and people seem to like the Blog so I will continue with this.

Good Morning Sunshine

I am now going to use this site to promote other areas of my mosaic work and services, as well as listing useful mosaic contacts. Have a look at the additional pages I have added and let me know what you think. I’d also like you to let me know what else you would like to hear about – anything mosaic orientated is open for discussion. It is very easy for you to send me a message, just press on the ‘Leave a comment’ button at the bottom of this page. I usually reply quite quickly and I love hearing your views, comments and questions.

NEW TO VIEW

GALLERY: Log Cabin – the pictorial story of the project

GALLERY: Martin Cheek Challenge – pictures as I progress with the challenges

PROJECTS: Log Cabin – the story of the project

PROJECTS: All Original Shop – the shop in Ealing where I display and sell

CONTACT: Interesting Contacts including suppliers, mosaic bloggers

 

REQUEST: Do have a look at my new pages and let me know what you think

COMING SOON: Mosaic Lessons for Beginners

 

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Highlights from 2014

Posted on January 6, 2015 | Leave a comment

Firstly, best wishes to all my ‘Blog Followers’ for 2015.  I hope the year is healthy, happy, fun and successful for us all.

2014 was a great year for me both personally and mosaic-wise.  Here are some of the highlights:

  • exhibited at Court Farm Gallery (met the lovely Ania)
  • Richmond Open Studios (with Peter Oliver and other artists)
  • entered’ Art in the Garden’ competition (didn’t win!)
  • raffled ‘Hollyhocks’ mosaic, raised £1,250 for Log Cabin
  • completed ‘Log Cabin Community Mosaic Project’ after 2 years
  • found Bexhill home for Bexhill mosaic
  • started ‘The Martin Cheek Challenge’ – one down, a lot more to go!
  • completed and delivered ‘Amy’s Mosaic Fireguard’
  • created new ‘Beach House’ range of mosaics
  • been mosaicking for 7 years
  • got a new mosaic website – this one!
  • became a Blogger!
  • 301 Facebook Likes
  • ran several mosaic lessons
  • new supplier:  Mosaic Workshop – with Trolley Dollies
  • record number of commissions including 3 clocks and a giraffe
  • joined BAMM – British Society of Mosaic Makers

and on the personal front:

  • swam at the London Aquatic Olympic Pool
  • experienced the poppy installation at the Tower of London
  • celebrated a ‘very special birthday’

 

COMING SOON: what would YOU like to see coming soon?  If you would like more info on any of the above, please do let me know. Obviously I am keen to do Blogs on the subjects that interest you so do let me know.

 

 

 

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Best Wishes for the Festive Season

Posted on December 19, 2014 | 4 comments

Robin

As Christmas draws nearer by the day it is time for me to publish my last ‘post’  of the year. I have really enjoyed being a new ‘Blogger’ and look forward to covering a whole range of subjects next year – all with a mosaic connection of course.

I would be interested to know what topics you have enjoyed reading about most and if there is anything you would like me to cover? I usually try to link things in with my mosaic work and I always try to have some mosaic pictures so you get an idea of my work and how it is evolving.  My first Blog next year will be a review of 2014, which has been a great year overall and very successful mosaic wise.

Candle

In the meantime, let me wish you all a lovely Christmas and festive period, wherever you are and whoever you are with. May 2015 be healthy, happy, fun and successful for us all.

Rosanna xx

 

!cid_891E6E8D4D2D4080852CCE0C2B032C2A@Rosannaslaptop           LC Tree 2a           !cid_3913FB54D00B41818A27C07296C5003F@Rosannaslaptop

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